Germany and Russia Best Buds Forever

What if Germany and its leaders decided that the Romanov dynasty, Russian friendship, its since 1813 Napoleonic war alliance with Russia, the Congress of Vienna decided boundaries in the east are the pillars of its post 1871 foreign policy.

Nothing that happens in the Balkans interests Germany.

Germany guarantees the post 1866 boundaries of Austria but no more.

POD is after 1871 and before 1878.
 
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Austria quickly comes to terms with Russia over the partition of the Ottoman Empire (maybe asking for support in Italy if Russian demands in the Balkans are too much), and pretends its perfectly happy being the third wheel in the Russian-German love fest.
 
Austria quickly comes to terms with Russia over the partition of the Ottoman Empire (maybe asking for support in Italy if Russian demands in the Balkans are too much), and pretends its perfectly happy being the third wheel in the Russian-German love fest.

That seems like a good outcome for all powers involved. Germany is free to play its world power games, build its navy, antagonize the British as much as it wants (short of war) without much consequence. Austria has secure boundaries and two reactionary monarchies happy to keep them around. Russia continues to expand on all its borders, only stopped by Britain and Japan.
 
Another way to get to this outcome is to maintain the Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 by having Kaiser Frederick III not kick the bucket right away in Germany, and maintain the alliance with Russia and Tsar Alexander III, so that we can delay, if not prevent, Kaiser Wilhelm II's weltpolitik and break with Russia.
 
Very easy. Certain man with big mustache named Joseph could easily achieve such goal-no, not Stalin.

Józef Piłsudski succeeded in convincing Japanese to support Polish uprising in 1904. Uprising is doomed to fail, like all previous ones, this time crushed by joint Russo-German forces. Russo-German friendship is once again strenghtened by drinking Polish blood toghether. Russia abandon alliance with France, seeing no point in fighting Germans, who helped them to keep Poles down.
 
Very easy. Certain man with big mustache named Joseph could easily achieve such goal-no, not Stalin.

Józef Piłsudski succeeded in convincing Japanese to support Polish uprising in 1904. Uprising is doomed to fail, like all previous ones, this time crushed by joint Russo-German forces. Russo-German friendship is once again strenghtened by drinking Polish blood toghether. Russia abandon alliance with France, seeing no point in fighting Germans, who helped them to keep Poles down.

Is that this uprising? or an earlier possible attempt, abandoned due to lack of Japanese support:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_in_the_Kingdom_of_Poland_(1905–07)
 
Another way to get to this outcome is to maintain the Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 by having Kaiser Frederick III not kick the bucket right away in Germany, and maintain the alliance with Russia and Tsar Alexander III, so that we can delay, if not prevent, Kaiser Wilhelm II's weltpolitik and break with Russia.

Could work. Although post 1878 and Congress of Berlin, it probably obvious to Russia that its Russia that is the 3rd wheel, in the German Austrian Russian relationship, combined with trade issues, Russia may go her own way regardless.
 
Austria quickly comes to terms with Russia over the partition of the Ottoman Empire (maybe asking for support in Italy if Russian demands in the Balkans are too much), and pretends its perfectly happy being the third wheel in the Russian-German love fest.

Kind of a good outcome for Austria-Hungary if they are willing to become a big de facto Belgium type thing. Defense cuts. Spending on infrastructure that keeps provinces happy. Railway stops, agencies employing civil servants, universities, whatever.
 
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